MANCHESTER UNITED are weighing up a move for one of five shortlisted candidates for the permanent manager role at the club.
Interim boss Michael Carrick has staked his claim to the role since taking over in mid-January.
Shock wins over title challengers Arsenal and Manchester City got his tenure off to a dream start, and the results have kept flowing since.
His first taste of defeat during his current stint in the United dugout came only against Newcastle earlier this month.
This form has seen United surge up to third place in the table, surpassing Aston Villa, who they will have a chance to distance themselves from when they clash on Sunday.
But despite his successes, the hierarchy at the club are not completely sold on him as the long-term future of the club, according to ESPN.
Instead, they face a five-man list of candidates who fit the bill, other than the interim boss, to take over in the summer.
Premier League managers dominate the list, with Oliver Glasner especially having been linked with the job for months.
The Austrian tactician announced in January that he would leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season, putting himself in the shop window for prospective employers.
Though it is easy to wonder if the Eagles’ lacklustre season and his fallout with the Palace hierarchy has cast a hint of doubt over him as a candidate for one of the hardest jobs in football.
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Another potential option is Villa boss Unai Emery.
The Spaniard has performed consistently with his Villa side since arriving in late 2022, and calls have grown from top-six fans to give him another chance at a new club with a higher budget.
But there are concerns that he would not fit well into the structure at Old Trafford.
There are reportedly reservations around Emery’s need for sweeping control over both the team and recruitment not fitting with the culture of the wider club.
Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth is another name that has been linked with a move to the club, while former fellow south-coast boss Roberto De Zerbi is also an option, following his departure from French outfit Marseille.
The club might even consider a move for Germany and former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann following the World Cup.
However, they would need to pry him away from a contract that extends to the end of the 2028 Euros.
